Oct. 3, 2001
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#17 Texas * Waco, Texas * Friday, Oct. 5 * 7 p.m.
at #9 Texas A&M * College Station, Texas * Sunday, Oct. 7 * 7 p.m.
With two ranked teams on the schedule for the weekend, the Bears have a challenge ahead as they attempt to even their Big 12 Conference record after starting out 0-2. Baylor hosts 17th-ranked Texas Friday at 7 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field, then heads down to College Station to tackle ninth-ranked Texas A&M Sunday at 7 p.m.
After opening the season with an 0-3 record, Texas has won three straight coming into Friday's match. The Longhorns lost to No. 1 North Carolina, No. 12 California and No. 16 Stanford in the team's first three outings of the fall. Since then, Texas has won three in a row over Vanderbilt, Colorado and Texas Tech, all on the road.
The Texas offense is young but powerful in 2001. Three of the top four scorers on the team are freshmen, with the fourth being a sophomore. Freshman forward Kelly Wilson leads the Longhorns with four goals, three assists and 11 points, while fellow freshman forward Kelly McDonald has four goals for nine points (second on the team).
Baylor is 3-3-1 all-time against Texas. The Longhorns won the two teams' only match-up in 2000, 2-1 in Austin. Rachel Kacsmaryk scored her first (and only) goal of the season in that game before suffering a knee injury in the second half that would keep her out the rest of the season.
Texas A&M heads into the weekend with a 4-2-1 mark (1-0-1 Big 12). The Aggies host Houston Friday at 7 p.m. before welcoming Baylor to College Station on Sunday evening.
Like the Longhorns, the Aggies are led in scoring by a freshman forward. Linsey Johnson leads Texas A&M with six goals, three assists and 15 points through seven games. Senior Nicky Thrasher and sophomore Kristen Strutz each have three assists and rank second and third on the team in scoring, respectively.
The Bears are 4-2 against the Aggies, all-time. In the last face-off between the two teams, unranked Baylor upset then-No. 9 Texas A&M 2-1 in Waco. Gina Castellano scored the game-winning goal with just four minutes to go in the game. Texas A&M won the first two meetings between the two teams (both in 1996), since then, the Bears have won four straight games. In three of those matches, an unranked Baylor team has upset a top-10 Aggie team.
Last Time Out
Baylor hung tight against No. 3 Nebraska for most of the game Friday night before the Huskers scored twice in the final seven minutes for a 4-0 win. Christine Latham scored two goals for Nebraska as the Bears suffered their second shutout of the season in their Big 12 opener. Freshman April Robertson saw her four-game scoring streak stopped by NU goalie Erin Miller, who recorded her first career shutout.
Iowa State freshman Nikki Gamble scored with 22 seconds remaining in overtime to life the Cyclones over the Bears 2-1 Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Emily Fukuchi gave Baylor a 1-0 lead 20 minutes into the second half, but ISU tied the game at the 78-minute mark. The loss was Baylor's first-ever to Iowa State, the Bears were 6-0 against the Cyclones all-time before Sunday's defeat.
Working Their Way Up The Charts
Senior co-captains Rachel Kacsmaryk and Alyson Miles each rank among the team's all-time leaders in several statistical categories.
The two seniors are tied for sixth in career goals (8). Kacsmaryk also ranks sixth in career game-winning assists (3) and seventh in career points (24), while Miles ranks sixth in career points (25), is tied for seventh in career game-winning assists (2) and holds the fifth-longest consecutive-games-played streak in school history (66) (see later note).
For a complete listing of updated school records, see page six of these notes.
Fountain of Youth Secret to Baylor Success
Of the 30 players on the Baylor roster, only five are upperclassmen (two seniors, three juniors). The team features 12 sophomores and 13 freshmen, and with the youth movement has come an influx of speed and energy.
Of those freshmen, 10 have seen action: Hilary Aylesworth, Rachel Barnier, Sarah Dearing, Mel Pannell, Katie Peterson, Janae Potter, April Robertson, Ginny Rosario-Tull, Kristin Ruef and Lori Viggiano.
Seven players (Dearing, Pannell, Peterson, Robertson, Rosario-Tull, Ruef and Viggiano) have each started at least one game. Robertson, Rosario-Tull and Ruef lead the freshmen, with each having started seven of Baylor's eight games this season.
Four freshmen (Robertson, Rosario-Tull, Ruef and Viggiano) have appeared in all eight games this year.
Aside from the freshmen, junior transfer Barbara Torres and sophomore goalie Amber Watkins have each seen their first action as Bears this fall. Torres sat out the 2000 season after transferring from Georgetown. Watkins served as valuable insurance behind goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse last season.
Injury Trouble
Baylor lost goalkeeper Mel Pannell for at least four weeks and possibly for the season when the freshman suffered a shoulder injury in the Bears' season opener Aug. 31.
Katie Peterson and Sarah Dearing (both with torn ACLs) are also lost for the season. Freshmen Tiffany Boshers and Sarah Gardner and sophomore Allison Coker are all redshirting this season.
Sophomore Emily Koch, who had seen no action of any sort all fall due to her own injury, was cleared for play the next day and started Sept. 2. She recorded her first collegiate shutout in that game despite playing with a bad back and continues to play through severe pain.
An infected toe cost senior co-captain Alyson Miles a chance at the school record for consecutive games played. Miles had played in all 66 of Baylor's games since she arrived at Baylor, but saw her streak end Sept. 17 when she sat out against Rice. Miles' streak ranks as the fifth-longest in school history.
Home is Where the Wins Are
Since the program's inception in 1996, the Bears are a sparkling 38-8-4 at home. Four of those losses came in 1999, in the team's other five seasons, Baylor has not lost more than one game a year at home.
A Fresh Attack
Ten of Baylor's 15 goals and 21 of the team's 42 points have come from players who were not a part of the team last season. Leading the way are freshmen April Robertson (team-leading five goals and 10 points) and Ginny Rosario-Tull (second on the team with two goals and third in points with five).
Four different freshman have scored at least one goal for the Bears this year (Sarah Dearing, Robertson, Rosario-Tull and Kristin Ruef). For more freshman records, see page six of these notes.
April Showering Goals On Opposition
Freshman April Robertson leads the team in scoring with five goals and 10 points this season.
The last freshman to lead the team in either category was Molly Cameron, who set school records with 32 goals and 75 points in the program's first year (1996).
Through games of Oct. 1, Robertson was tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference in goals with five. Robertson also tied for third in the conference with two game-winning goals and ranked 11th in points with 10.
For a complete listing of updated school records, see page six of these notes.
Bears Among Big 12's Best
Through games of Oct. 1, sophomore Ryan Lee was tied for fourth in the Big 12 in assists with four. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Koch ranked fifth in saves with 30 and seventh in goals-against average at 1.65.
Rookie Robertson on Scoring Streak
Freshman forward April Robertson scored goals in four straight games (9/7-9/21), tying for third in school history.
That put her in territory that only Baylor greats Molly Cameron and Courtney Saunders had previously reached. Saunders and Cameron each compiled five-game scoring streaks, Saunders scored a total of seven goals in her five-game streak during the 1999 season, while Cameron recorded one goal in each of Baylor's first five games in 2000.
Saunders and Cameron (twice) each recorded four-game scoring streaks in 1996. Robertson had five goals in her four-game streak.
In the Net
Injury problems have forced the Bears to employ four different goalies this season, a team record. Sophomore Emily Koch was projected to be the team's starter, but a bad back held her out of the season opener. Freshman Mel Pannell started in her place, but suffered a shoulder injury in Baylor's first game that put her out of action. That allowed sophomore Amber Watkins to get her first action as a Bear, finishing out Baylor's 3-0 loss to Arizona State.
Head coach Nick Cowell quickly activated Koch for the team's second game of the season. The sophomore is currently playing through pain and is unable to practice at all in hopes for avoiding further injury.
Sophomore Stephanie Dempsey became Baylor's fourth different goalkeeper this season when she took over for Koch in the second half Sept. 21 against Rice. Dempsey, who played in 18 games last season as a defender, was converted to goalkeeper after Pannell's injury and is playing the position for the first time at any level.
Crawley Named Preseason All-Big 12
Junior defender Tamura Crawley was named to the 2001 All-Big 12 Soccer Preseason Team by the league's coaches. Crawley earned second-team all-conference honors in 2000 after being named to the Big 12's first team in 1999. Crawley is also a two-time all-region selection, as named by Soccer Buzz magazine. She was named to the preseason all-conference team last season, as well.
Baylor Picked Sixth in Big 12 in Preseason Poll
In a poll of the league's coaches, Baylor was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference. Defending national champion Nebraska is the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, followed by Texas A&M, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma (tied for fourth) and Baylor. Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State round out the bottom half of the league.
The Bears finished the 2000 season in fourth place in the Big 12. Baylor lost to third-ranked Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament and narrowly missed the program's third-straight selection to the NCAA Tournament.
Bears Ranked Among Region's and Nation's Best Yet Again
Soccer Buzz magazine ranked Baylor eighth in the Central Region in its preseason rankings, and the NSCAA placed the Bears fifth in the region Sept. 3. Baylor finished 2000 third in the region and receiving votes in the national polls.
The Bears received votes in two national polls early in the 2001 season.
2001 Recruiting Class Brings Honors for Bears
The Baylor soccer team's 2001 recruiting class ranked eighth regionally and 35th in the nation, according to Soccer Buzz magazine.
Since head coach Nick Cowell's arrival, the Bears have ranked among the nation's best at recruiting. In 1999, Baylor did not receive national or regional recognition, in 2000, the team improved to 26th in the nation and fifth in the region. The 2001 season marks the Bears' second straight season among the nation's elite.
Bears in the Pros
Three athletes with Baylor connections participated in the inaugural season of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the world's premier women's professional soccer league. Goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse, an all-American for Baylor in 1998, spent the 2000 season with the Washington Freedom, while fellow all-American Courtney Saunders is a member of the Philadelphia Charge. Former assistant coach Rebecca Hornbacher joined the Boston Breakers.
Exhibition Season
In April, the Baylor soccer team was one of six schools to face the Mexico Women's National Team as it toured the United States. The Bears beat Mexico 3-1 at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field in front of 1,810 fans, a school record.
Whitney Barrett scored in the 15th minute, assisted by Ryan Lee, to put Baylor up 1-0. The Bears scored again 12 minutes later when Candace Reilly recorded Baylor's second goal of the night. After Mexico cut the lead to 2-1 six minutes into the second half, Emily Fukuchi powered the ball into the net from 60 feet out to make the final score Baylor 3, Mexico 1.
Baylor kicked off the fall with a preseason scrimmage against SMU, blanking the Mustangs 3-0 in Waco on Aug. 24. The Bears' large freshman class shone brightly in the exhibition, as two of Baylor's three goals were scored and assisted on by freshmen. Ginny Rosario-Tull, Candace Reilly and Rachel Barnier each pushed across goals, while Kristin Ruef and Sarah Dearing contributed assists. Freshman goalie Mel Pannell recorded seven saves in picking up the shutout.
Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field
The 2001 season marks the third year for the Bears at the newly renamed Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. The former Baylor Soccer Stadium was renamed during the 2000 season in honor of the late Betty Lou Mays of Amarillo, Texas. Mrs. Mays was the wife of Troy Mays, a 1945 graduate of Baylor, the two were longtime supporters of Baylor athletics.
Live Updates at GoBaylorBears.com
Unable to make it to the game? Get on the Internet and go to www.GoBaylorBears.com. There, you will find live statistical updates for each of Baylor's remaining home games. The box score and play-by-play will automatically be updated with the official stats following each play.
Head Coach Nick Cowell
Head coach Nick Cowell, now in his third year at the helm of the Baylor soccer team, has steadily built a program that consistently rates as one of the best in the Big 12 Conference. In 2001, his challenge is take things one step further, the Bears are shooting for a spot in the NCAA field of 64, from whence they can challenge for the national title.
In Cowell's first year at Baylor, the team finished 14-7-1 overall and placed fourth in the conference with a 6-3-1 mark. Last season, the Bears again finshed fourth in the Big 12 and compiled an overall record of 10-6-3. Under Cowell, the team has made one NCAA appearance (1999) and barely missed out on another (2000).
Prior to coming to Baylor, Cowell spent eight years as head coach at Trinity University in San Antonio. During that time, he led his team to seven straight conference titles, including 49-straight conference victories and six trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
At Trinity, Cowell's success resulted in him being named the SCAC Coach of the Year five times. In 1992, he garnered Regional Coach of the Year honors. Prior to his work at Trinity, Cowell was at The College of Wooster where he had a 22-11-4 record in two seasons. He led the Lady Scots to the North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1990. Following that season he was named the NCAC and Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Coach of the Year.
Cowell began the 2001 season ranked 24th in career wins among active coaches at four-year colleges, with a career record of 163-54-16.
Cowell Adds Pair of New Assistant Coaches
The 2001 season brings two new assistant coaches to the Baylor fold. Assistant coach Rj. Anderson and graduate assistant coach Becca Lief joined the Bears prior to the season, each bringing new talents to the program.
Anderson comes to Baylor from the University of Toledo, where he was women's head soccer coach from 1995-2000. Anderson brings over 35 years of soccer experience as a player, coach and official at both the national and international level.
Lief joins the Baylor staff from nearby SMU, where she started in goal for two seasons for the Mustangs. As goalkeeper coach, Lief's duties focus on helping the Bears' stable of goalies throughout the season.
